Episode discussion post: "START"

[jae]

Aired:
30 May 2018 in the U.S. and Canada

This is a discussion post for episode 610 of The Americans (the season and series finale), intended for viewers who are watching the show on the U.S./Canadian schedule. (Feel free to dive in to the discussion even if you're coming in late--and you should also feel free to start a new thread if it seems too daunting to read through what's already been posted first.)

Original promo trailer

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Comments

Paige's life

[sistermagpie]

I'm glad Henry and Stan have each other, but poor Paige! What will become of her? I do understand why she made the choice she did, but her future looks pretty bleak to me.

I actually thought Paige staying meant she would be Henry's family. Stan too, of course, but Paige is his actual family and knows about their parents. She told him he had to take care of Henry but then came back herself. Henry doesn't need real taking care of like a child, and I really think he and Paige would get more out of talking about the whole thing than Henry and Stan.

Re: Paige's life

[selenak]

Thinking about it, this makes so much sense as Paige's reason to return home, instead of trying to live a new life (within the US, but not as Paige Jennings). And of her not talking to Henry on the phone when she had the chance. I think that might have been when she made up her mind to stay.

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

Possibly, but how can she even contact Henry without getting arrested?

Having said which, I guess if she did make contact with Henry and Stan found out about it, it would be in Stan's own interests to say nothing.

Re: Paige's life

[beer_good_foamy]

I figure both she and Henry will have to undergo some pretty heavy questioning no matter what. Henry can probably get by since he's a minor and genuinely doesn't know anything, but Paige...

Assuming Stan doesn't say anything, and assuming that nobody finds out that she was with P&E right up to the Canadian border (in disguise and a fake ID), and assuming she contacts the authorities right away rather than try to stay hidden, she's still going to have to keep her story very straight if she wants to convince a bunch of frustrated FBI agents looking for results that she knew nothing.

I don't recall - were we ever told if she officially applied for that State Dept internship?

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

I don't recall - were we ever told if she officially applied for that State Dept internship?

I can't remember, I'm afraid. However, if she did, it was as Paige Jennings and that person doesn't really exist any more. She even buried her US passport.

Re: Paige's life

[treonb]

As far as the US is concerned, that person exists. Reporting a stolen/lost passport is not a major hassle.

Re: Paige's life

[beer_good_foamy]

Exactly. "My passport? I don't know, I haven't used it in years, I put it in a safe place somewhere right after I came back from that trip to East Berlin to see my grandmother."

If she tries to pass herself off as anyone but Paige Jennings, and gets found out, she's probably looking at a very long prison sentence. Basically, her best chance right now is to put that bottle away, write down exactly what her story is, spend the night memorizing it until she believes it, and then show up next day believably shocked that her parents were Russian spies and a good innocent explanation for absolutely every decision she's made over the past few years.

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

I guess, yes. However, if she carries on living as Paige Jennings, there's no way she'd ever be allowed to work in government, surely?

Re: Paige's life

[treonb]

Why would she want to? I thought she was only doing that so she could be a spy

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

I guess that might be who she feels she is, though. After all, she's never been anyone else.

Re: Paige's life

[treonb]

She just started college, she can choose to major in anything else. I actually have no idea what really interests her, but she can probably figure it out, now that she's not trying to impress her mother.

That's assuming she can continue studying, now that she needs to start paying her own way.

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

That's assuming she can continue studying, now that she needs to start paying her own way.

I guess I'd just assumed that wouldn't be possible. She'd be registered at college as Paige Jennings, wouldn't she, now wanted by the FBI? Would the college even take her back?

Re: Paige's life

[treonb]

Assuming she's not going to be thrown into jail for the rest of her life, there's no reason she can't continue with college, even if that's a few years down the road.

Re: Paige's life

[sistermagpie]

Yes she herself never expressed any interest in government. She might work in that in general but she might be more suited to a nonprofit org for instance. That was her genuine interest in the church.

Re: Paige's life

[beer_good_foamy]

Probably not, but it beats a few decades in prison.

Re: Paige's life

[sistermagpie]

I think she totally exists. Paige doesn't know how to create a fake identity and she returned to DC without disguise. She's being herself 100%.

Re: Paige's life

[jae]

Possibly, but how can she even contact Henry without getting arrested?

The FBI don't have anything on Paige yet. There will be an evidence-gathering process, during which they will almost certainly find SOMETHING to charge Paige with, but that might take some time. In the meantime she'll be questioned, probably multiple times. But even if she does end up facing charges and eventual prison time, there's no reason she couldn't contact Henry right away and get some of that emotional work done before the shit hits the fan.

-J

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

True. For some reason, I actually have trouble seeing her doing it.

It's probably because, as someone (I forget who) said in their comment, Paige and Henry never seemed that close to me.

Re: Paige's life

[jae]

I think that's fair. I do think everything we saw of her in the finale suggests that she was broken by the idea of leaving Henry behind alone. She tried to convince them to go get him, then couldn't bear to talk to him on the phone. And I'm convinced that she stayed behind, above all, to serve as that link to their parents so that he can better understand his past and himself going forward. I can't imagine she wouldn't head straight there as soon as she pulls herself together a bit.

-J

Re: Paige's life

[shapinglight]

It's a shame we didn't see some Paige/Henry interaction this season, the way we did in seasons 1 and 2. That would probably have made it easier for me to get onboard that scenario.

It would have been a lot more interesting than all the travel agency woes.

Speaking of which, have the show creators had anything to say about why there was so much of that?

Re: Paige's life

[sistermagpie]

Yes and this isn't really about them being close as it is them sharing this experience with Paige having more understanding.

It also occured to me to remember how Henry dealt with his parents' separation by withdrawing anf his body language in the last scene is alao pulling away. It'll take him a bit too. His active social life isn't just going to go on as before.

Henry & Stan

[treonb]

Stan might actually be a detriment to Henry.

Henry needs to deal with the fact that his entire life as he knew it was a sham and discover who he really is. Stan thinks his whole life was a sham, but he knows exactly who he is and where he comes from.

Re: Henry & Stan

[sistermagpie]

Yeah while I thknk there's a lot of possibilities for them and that Stan will be an important support on some capacity I don't think they're family now or whatever. I can easily see yjem not being in close contact forever. Not saying that will happen but it's not necessarily Henry's best comfort to have the house across the street become the one he's supposed to think of as home or whatever.. You don't know how yhe trauma will play out.

Especially since Stan is going to be thinking over his choices in future and maybe regretting them.

Stan's potential regrets

[jae]

Especially since Stan is going to be thinking over his choices in future and maybe regretting them.

I think 'regret' is probably too strong a word for it, as he's fully aware that it wasn't an easy choice. But when the finale first aired, I actually said, out loud, to the screen: "He's going to be second-guessing that decision for the rest of his life."

-J

Re: Stan's potential regrets

[sistermagpie]

Yes, that's totally what it is. He'll think of some other crime, wonder how that went down. There'll be so many times when he'll question it. It was made in an emotional state and with Philip no longer right there with his voice breaking it'll be different. I don't think he'll literally regret it and wish he did something else, though. It seems like the type of decision he can't think that about. It was who he was--like Philip said, it was an EST moment.